They moved carefully through the cave and finally began to move into a dark red light. They came out of a cave mouth into a wide, open area with large hole in the middle and several ramps leading down. When they came to the edge of the massive hole and looked down they saw several giant crystalline humanoids that were moving crates of materials into organized stacks in front of a round metal platform.
They crouched and watched from the rim of the hole as the Crystors continued their work until one them dropped a crystal out of a box that shattered when it hit the ground.
As soon as it shattered the Crystor froze and sat the box down as if to turn and clean up his mess. As it began to turn a red and white flash crossed the room from another cave mouth that the two kids hadn't noticed and shattered the Crystor.
"You crystalline lout! That gem was worth more than you are!" As the flash became still and the two could finally see what it was, they caught their breath.
The light revealed an extremely pale man with pupils as red as blood with the sclera black as the abyss. Gunnar knew that if they got closer or had binos to see from this distance, they would see a mouth full of sharp teeth.
A vampire!
'Vampires weren't supposed to be here!' Gunnar thought. 'The demon aligned species were never allowed on the planet of Kelton. They were actively hunted on all of the forge worlds but especially here were the heirs of all the worlds were raised and trained.'
Gunnar pulled Cassie back from the edge of the hole and they slowly moved to the edge of the caves mouth.
Vampires were half demon and half another species, usually human or elf. This Gunnar knew. They ate blood and flesh from any beast or being in a pinch, but claimed that intelligent beings tasted the best. They had the hunger and ferocity of the demons and the full cognizance of their human or elven ancestor. They fully knew that it was unacceptable to most races to consume intelligent life and simply didn't care.
Gunnar used the sign language most of the planet was taught for times they couldn't speak, or used to talk to the many veterans who were deafened by the explosions of open battle.
'We need to go down the mountain and set off the beacon.' He signed. 'Pirates or anything else we might simply avoid but the vampires and demons are a planetary threat. Nothing else matters but summoning help.'
They began to move further into the cave and towards the entrance that would lead them back to the outside of the volcano. But just as they stepped inside, a breeze filtered in blowing into their faces and taking their scent back into the cave. They heared a snarl behind them and then a scream of rage and hunger.
"Spies!!! I smell little spies!!" The vampire screamed out, shaking the little courage the two children had. "After them, they must be caught before they ruin everything!"
The two fled as quickly as they could heading at an angle down the side of the mountain. Gunnar looked back over his shoulder and saw the Crystors coming out of the cave mouth and saw further up the volcano, the vampire appearing from another opening.
He spun his head back around and spoke quickly to Cassie.
"You have to get back to the camp and call for help! In case of emergencies like demon invasion the rules allow for use of higher technology like the short range teleports and higher speed flight tech!" The desperation in his voice drew a sob from Cassie as they ran.
"Why are you talking like you won't be coming with me?" Cassie stammered through her pouring tears.
"We won't make it there if that vampire isn't distracted! We can outrun the Crystors with no problem as they can't move very well ,but that vampire is at least third level in body refinement based on his speed." As the chaos and panic flooded his system with adrenaline, everything felt as if it was slowing down marginally and his mind drew in with sharp focus.
"I will draw the vampire after me. It will give chase Cassie. Do you understand?!" He was shouting now as he diverted his path from hers, pulling his seax knife from his belt and making a couple of cuts on his upper left arm just deep enough to bleed a decent amount. "Go Cassie! Get there and get help!"
Gunnar began to run harder and faster than he thought possible as one who hadn't begun his body refinement. He heard behind him a sudden bone shuddering, spine chilling scream of a hunger so deep it sounded painful. He knew then that the vampire had scented his blood.
It would be unable to go after Cassie now. He thought with a grim satisfaction. But he was as fucked as one could possibly get if something didn't change and change quickly.
After about 50 additional yards he heard a growling and scrambling coming towards him rapidly, and as he turn his head just a bit to look his feet hit a patch of ice in a drainage flow.
He fell and began sliding down the side of the volcano at an ever increasing rate. The rate at which he slid began to slightly outpace the speed of the vampire and Gunnar felt good about that until he realized he was sliding into the territory of the Great Bear.
More panic flooded him until an absolutely mad thought popped into his head. He pushed slightly towards the side of the ice he was on until he could leap further to the side onto another patch of ice, snow and loose dirt where he could marginally control his rate of descent as well as his direction.
The biggest threat on this mountain, the sure death that the Great Bear could bring, might be his only chance to survive this madness. The catch was, he had to find the bear before the vampire found him.